Resettable switch



Sept. 6, 1938. H. E. SCHLEICHER RESETTABLE SWITCH Filed Aug. 27, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l .Ewum a zwmo INVENTOR HAROLD E. SCHLEICHER BY HIS ATTORNEYS p 1938. H. E. SCHLEICHER 2,129,592 I RESETTABLE SWITCH Filed Aug. 27, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HAROLD E. SCHLEICHER Patented Sept. 6, 1938 PATENT OFFICE RESETTABIE SWITCH Harold E. Schleicher, Elmwood, Coma, assignor to The Arrow-Hart & Hegeman Electric Company, Hartford, Conn, a corporation of Connccticut Application August 2'7, 1937, Serial No. 181,319

1'! Claims.

This invention relates to a circuit making and breaking device which is automatically operable for circuit interruption and is resettable.

It is an'object of my invention to provide an improved form of circuit interrupting device with few inexpensively manufactured parts and which is positive and accurate in operation. Another object of my invention is to provide an improved form of circuit interrupter which is operable by a push buttons. Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as it is described in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing in side elevation the interior parts of a circuit interrupting device embodying the principles of my invention, with the parts in closed-circuit position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Figure l with the 7 so parts in tripped position;

' Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 with the parts in open-circuit or reset position;

Figure 4 is a side elevation view of a circuit breaking device embodying the principles of my 25 invention. In this view the thermal tripping means is partly broken away; I

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 55 of Figure 3; and

Fig. 6 is a detail view of certain parts oi. the device in a position which they take before the resetting operation.

Referring to the drawings, my improved circuit making and breaking device is mounted upon a metal plate iii which may conveniently be stamped from sheet metal. The mechanism is positioned between a pair of parallel plates l2 and M which are secured to the base plate Iii by any convenient means, such as by lugs l3 extending from the lower edges of the plates i2 and i4 through the base plate iii, the lug ends being peened over. The parallel side plates l2 and I4 are secured together adjacent their top edges by a narrow plate it which may be parallel to the base plate it and provided with spaced apertures 45 or slots ifi it within which slide the arms l8 and 2t.

The device is operated by a pair of push buttons 22 and 24, the button 2% being pressed when it is desired to close the circuit and the button 24 to being pressed when it is desired either to open the circuit or to reset the device. The buttons Z2 and 24 may be made of insulating material and be mounted upon the ends of the arms it and 20 respectively. The arms it and iii may be stamped from sheet metal and biiurcated at their upper ends to provide for the ready mounting thereon of the operating buttons. The lower or inner ends of these arms l8 and 20 are pivotally connected by pins 25 and 21 with opposite ends of a link 26 which is pivoted at its midpoint upon a pivot 28 located in the upper central portion of the side plates. Also mounted upon the pivot 28 is an operating cam 30, onehalf 01 which is substantially semi-circular while the other half tapers to a point 30 The arm l8 (and also the arm 20) is preferably supplied in duplicate, the pair of duplicate arms acting as a unit with one member of the pair sliding over the inner face of the plate l2 and the other member of the pair sliding over the inner face of the plate H. The cam 30 and link 26 may also be supplied in duplicate, the pivot 28 on which they are mounted consisting of short duplicate coaxial pins supported in the plates l2 and M.

For the purpose of operating the cam 30 as the operating buttons are manipulated, a cam operating member having the irregular shape as best illustrated in Figure 6, is pivotally mounted upon the pivot pin 21 at the lower end of the arm 2t between the duplicate links 28. One end of this cam operating member 32 extends beyond the side edges of the parallel plates l2 and II, as indicated at 32L -The other end of the cam operating member is of greater width and is provided with a central recess 322 thus dividing the inner end of the cam operating member into two parts, the upper part having an inclined shoulder 323 for engagement by a pin 34 mounted upon the operating cam 20. The lower part of the inner end of the cam operating member 32 has a point 324 which normally will lie in the axis of the pin 28 upon which the cam 30 is mounted. In order to hold the pin 34 against the shoulder 323 duplicate coil tension springs 36 are provided each with one end hooked around the pin 34 and the other end hooked around the pin 21. These springs lie outside the plates I2 and I4 and engage ends 01' the pins 21 and 34 which project through slots in said plates. It will now be apparent that on account of the action of these springs and the inclination of the shoulder 323 the cam operating member would slip up or move in a clockwise direction (see Figure l) were it not for the fact that a latch member 38 is pro- .vided having an end portion 38l engaged with the point 324 oi the cam operating member when the device is set. The latch member is of irregular shape .(as best shown in Fig. 6) and may be from sheet metal and be pivotally mounted upon a pin 43 which passes transversely through the side plates i2 and I4 in a position below the pivot of the operating cam. The end "I of the latch member 33 is of hook shape, as illustrated, while the opposite end is of Y-shape. The branch 332 01' the Y extends beyond the side edges of the parallel plates l2 and I4 and has connected therewith one end of a coil tension spring 42 which urges the latch in a clockwise direction. The other end of the coil spring 42 is hooked over a lug 44 struck up out oi! the base plate II. The other branch 383 of the Y extends toward the base plate l0 and is engaged with an arm 43! pressed out from the center of a latch tripping member 43 which is pivotally mounted upon a base plate ll.

In order to operate the latch tripping member 43 a thermally responsive device may be provided. A suitable type is illustrated in thepatcut to Monroe Guett No. 2,025,857. In this type of thermal device a plunger springs out when an overload occurs. The plunger, striking an insulating plate 33 between itself and the latch tripping member, causes the tripping member to move in a clockwise direction and, by reason of the engagement of the latch' tripping member with the latch 33, the latch 33 is moved in a counterclockwise direction to disengage its upper end "I from the point 324 on the cam operating member. The cam operating member is then free to move in a clockwise direction under the influence o! the pressure of the pin 34 against the inclined shoulder 323. As soon as the pin 34 is disengaged from the shoulder 323 the pin may move into the recess 322 of the cam operating member (see Fig. 2) and the cam 33 will thus be caused to pivot about the pin 23.

The motion of the cam 30 is translated into motion of the switch contacts by the following means. The carrier 53 on which the movable contacts are mounted is stamped from sheet metal into U-shape with the legs "I, 532 slidable over the outside races of the plates l2 and i4.- An insulating block 3| carrying bridging contacts 33 is mounted on the closed end of the carrier 33 by screws 53 engaging in lugs 503, 504 laterally bent from the edges of the legs Bill, 502.

The carrier 30 is permitted rectilinear movement, being guided by pins 53 and the projecting ends of pin 40 abutting the lower and upper edges of the carrier's legs. Also guiding the carrier is a pin 54 extending transversely through the carrier legs and sliding in slots 505 in the side plates l2 and I4 and parallel to the base plate ll.

Pivotally mounted on pin 34 between the side plates I I and i2 is one end of a channel shaped actuating member 52 for the contact carrier 30. The side plates I2l, 322 or this channel member 32 lie between the planes of the earns 30. At the opposite end from the pin 54 a cam roller 56 is mounted transversely in the actuators side plates 5M, "2. This roller engages the tapering sur faces of the cam point 30 during the movement and in the various positions of the device. An expansion spring 53 having one end 58i engaged with the base plate Ill and the other end 582 pressing against the bottom of the actuator 52 holds the cam roller resiliently in contact with the cam surfaces.

It will now be apparent that when the cam moves from the closed circuit position (see Figure 1) into the open circuit position (see Figure 3) the cam will move in a clockwise direction causing the pin It to slide'down'the left inclined surface of the cam against the stress of the spring 53 until the pin it comes under the point 33 of the cam, at which time the stress of the spring 53 will cause the pin to slide up the right inclined surface of the cam 30, thus causing the actuator 52 for the contact carrier and the contact carrier 53 to move to the right with a snap motion into the position shown in Figure 3, causing separation 01 the movable contacts from the fixed contacts (not shown).

In order to cause the circuit opening movement of the cam 33, manually, the button 24 must be depressed thereby causing the link 25 to rock clockwise. The downward movement of the pivot pin 21 will cause pivoting of the cam operating member 32 about its point 324 of engagement with the latch end 3", carrying the shoulder 323 clockwise and allowing the springs 36 to pull the pin 34 and cam 33 in a clockwise direction. The springs 36 must be of sumcient strength to rotate the cam against the frictional resistance of the contact actuating parts 30, 52, 30. The springs 33 thus provide means to indirectly transmit the motion of the manually operated link 25 to the operating cam 30 in circuit opening, in contrast to the direct positive transmission of the motion of the link to the cam by the cam operating member 32, during circuit closing.

The movable contacts may be 01 conventional form having resilient spring mounting, as illustrated, upon the end of the contact carrier 50. These contacts will engage with conventionally formed fixed contacts in closed circuit position and will disengage the fixed contacts when coming into open circuit position.

In order to reset the device after automatic operation, the reset button 24 must be depressed. This will cause the depression of the arm 20 and its pivot pin 21 and also the cam operating member 32 will be simultaneously carried downwardly until the extension 32! engages the extension 382 of the latch. This engagement will cause a resetting oi the parts (including the plunger 62 of the thermal device) putting the point 324 of the cam operating member into engagement with the end portion of the latch member 38 and the pin 34 on the cam 30 into engagement with the shoulder 323 of the cam operating member 32. In order to cause movement of the contacts to closed circuit position from the reset position just described (illustrated in Figure 3) the circuit closing button 22 must be depressed thereby causing pivoting oi the link 25 which will carry the cam operating member 32 upwardly together with the pivot pin 21 and the resetting arm 20. In moving to this position the cam operating member 32 will pivot about its point of engagement with the latch 38, which point, it will be remembered, is in the axis of the pin 28 upon which the cam 30 is mounted. This movement will also (by reason of engagement of the shoulder 323 ci the pin 324) cause counterclockwisemovement of the cam 30. During this counterclockwise movement the pin 56 will move down the right hand inclined face of the cam past the point 32 and will slide up the left hand inclined race of the cam causing movement of the actustar 42 and the contact carrier 50 to the left to engage the movable contacts with the fixed contacts to complete the circuit. The device may now be operated to open the switch manually or it may operate automatically to open the circuit by movement of the plunger and latch tripping member 46 as hereinbefore mentioned.

70 movable means for operating said cam means,

It is obvious that my circuit interrupting mechanism is not limited to automatic operation by a thermal tripping device but may be operated as well by an electromagnet or other automatic tripping means.

Many variations within the scope of my invention will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore I do not limit the invention to the specific form of the parts as illustrated and described.

I claim- 1. In a circuit controller, manually movable link means, cam means movable in response to movements of said link means, cam operating means for transmitting movement of said link means to said cam means, latch means maintaining operative relation between said cam means and cam operating means, overload current ref sponsive means for tripping said latch and permitting operation of said cam means independent of said link means, in combination with contact means movable with a snap action, resilient connecting means between said contact means and said cam means for imparting movement to said contact means as said cam means moves.

2. In a circuit controller, manually operable means, movable contact means, operating mechanism for moving said contact means to open and closed positions with a snap, means transmitting the motion of said manually operable means to said operating mechanism, means responsive to overload current acting upon said transmitting means to permit operation of said operating mechanism independent of said manual means on overload.

3. In a circuit controller, manually operable means, movable contact means, operating mechanism for moving said contact means to open and closed positions witha snap,- means transmitting the motion of said manually operable means to said operating mechanism, said transmittin means being constructed and arranged to provide a rigid connection between said'manually operable means and said operating mechanism when said manually operable means is operated in one direction and a resilient connection when said manually operable means is operated in the other direction, means responsive to overload current acting upon said transmitting means to permit 7 operation of said operating mechanism independent of said manual means on overload.

4. In a circuit controller, manually operable means, movable contact means, operating mechanism for moving said contact means to open and closed positions with a snap, means transmitting the motion of said manually operable means to said operating mechanism, said transmitting means being constructed and arranged to provide for direct positive connection between operating mechanism by said manually operable means when said manually operable means moves in one direction and indirect action when said manually operable means is operated in the other direction, means responsive to overload currentacting upon said transmitting means'to permit operation of said operating mechanism independent oi said manual means on overload.

5. In a circuit controller, a reciprocating contact carrier, operating cam means, manually actuating means connecting said cam means and contact carrier and causing operation of said tion of said cam means independent of said manually movable means.

6. In a circuit controller, a movable contact carrier, operating cam means, actuating means for said carrier mounted on said carrier and resiliently engaging said cam means, manually operable means, means for transmitting the motion of said manually operable means to said cam means, said transmitting means including a member for positively moving said cam means in 0ne direction and a resilient member ior causing said cam means to move in the other direction as said manually operable means is moved in one direction or the other, in combination with current-responsive mechanism for causing operation of said cam means by said resilientmember independent of said manually operable member.

7,- In a circuit controller, movable contact means, operating cam means, means for causing said contact means to move with a snap in response to movement of said cam means, manually operable means, means for transmitting the cam means, said transmitting means including a member for positively moving said cam means in one direction and a resilient member for causing said cam means to move in the other direction as said manually operable means is moved in one direction or the other, in combination with current-responsive mechanism for causing operation of said cam means by said resilient member independent of said manually operable member.

8. In a circuit controller, movable contact means, operating cam means, means for causing said contact means to move with a snap in response to movement of said cam means, manu-, ally operable means, means for transmitting the motion of said manually operable means to said cam means, said transmitting means including said cam means in the other direction as said manually operable means is moved in one direction or the other, in combination with current responsive mechanism for disabling said positive moving-member and causing operation of said cam means by said spring member.

9. In a circuit controller, movable contact means, operating cam means, means for causing said contact means to move with a snap in response to movement of said cam means, manually operable means, means for transmittingthe motion of said manually operable means to said cam means, said transmitting means including a member for positively moving said cam means in one direction and spring means for moving said cam means in the other direction as said manually operable means is moved in one direction or the other, in combination with current responsive mechanism for causing operation of said cam means by said spring means to automatically operate said contact means.

10. In a circuit controller, movable contact means, operating cam means, means for causing said contact means to move with a snap in response to movement of said cam means, manually operable means, means ior transmitting the motion of said manually operable means to said cam means, said transmitting means including a member for positively moving said cam means in one direction and spring means for moving said cam means in the other direction as said manually operable means is moved in one direction or the other, in combination with latching means for holding said positive moving means in operative condition, and current responsive means for tripping said latching means and enabling said spring means to operate said cam means to cause automatic operation of said contact means. i

11. In a circuit controller, movable contact means, operating cam means, means for causing said contact means to move with a snap in response to movement of said cam means, pivotally mounted manually operable means, means for transmitting the motion of said manually operable means to said cam means, said transmitting means including a member movable with said manually operable means and pivoting about the pivotal axis of said manually operable means during manual operation of the controller, said transmitting means also including spring means for causing said cam means to move in one direction in combination with current responsive mechanism for causing operation of said cam means by said spring means for automatic operation of the controller.

12. In a circuit controller, movable contact means, operating cam means, means for causing said contact means to move with a snap in response to movement of said cam means, plvotally mounted manually operable means, means for transmitting the motion or said manually operable means to said cam means, said transmitting means including a member movable with said manually operable means and pivoting about the pivotal axis of said manually operable means during manual operation of the controller, said transmitting means also including spring means for causing said cam means to move in one direction, in combination with current responsive mechanism for disabling said member movable with said manual means, to permit movement of said cam means by said spring means independent 01' said manual means for automatic operation of the controller.

13. In a circuit controller, movable contact means, actuating means mounted on said contact means, spring biasing means acting on said actuating means and urging said contact means into one or another 01' two extreme positions, cam means for moving said actuating means, manually operable means ior operating said cam means, means transmitting the motion of said manually operable means to said cam means, said transmitting means including a rigid member for moving said cam means in one direction and a tension member for moving said cam means in the other direction, in combination with current responsive mechanism acting to free said rigid member and permit said tension member to automatically operate said controller.

14. In a circuit controller, movable contact means, actuating means mounted on said contact means, spring biasing means acting on said actuating means and urging said contact means into one or another or two extreme positions, cam means for moving said actuating means, manually operable means for operating said cam means, means transmitting the motion of said manually operable means to said cam means, said transmitting means including a rigid member for moving said cam means in one direction and a tension member for moving said cam means in the other direction, in combination with current responsive mechanism acting to free said rigid member and permit said tension member to automatically operate said controller, said automatic operation being independent of said manually operable means, said manually operable means causing resetting of said controller on movement to another position 01' rest after automatic operation or the controller.

15. In a circuit controller, movable contact means, operating cam means, means for causing said contact means to move with a snap in response to movement oi said cam means, manually operable means, means for transmitting-the motion of said manually operable means to said cam means, said transmitting means including a member for positively moving said cam means in one direction and a resilient member for causing said cam means to move in the other direction as said manually operable means is moved in one direction or the other, in combination with currentresponsive mechanism for causing operation of said cam means by said resilient member independent oi said manually operable member, said manually operable means causing resetting of the controller upon movement to another position of rest after automatic operation of the controller.

16. In a circuit controller, manually operable means, movable contact means, operating mechanism for moving said contact means with a snap, means transmitting the motion of said manually operable means to said operating mechanism, said transmitting means being constructed and arranged to provide for direct positive connection between said operating mechanism and said manually operable means when said manually operable means moves in one direction and a non-rigid positive continuously active connection between said operating mechanism and said manually operable means during the movement oi said manually operable means in the other direction, means responsive to overload current acting upon said transmitting means to permit operation of said operating mechanism independent oi said manual means on overload.

17. In a circuit controller, manually operable means, movable contact means, operating mechanism for moving said contact means with a snap, means transmitting the motion of said manually operable means to said operating mechanism, said transmitting means being constructed and arranged to provide a rigid connection between said manually operable means and said operating mechanism when said manually openable means is operated in one direction and a resilient connection between said manually operable means and said operating mechanism during the movement of said manually operable means in the other direction, means responsive to overload current acting upon said transmitting means to permit operation of said operating mechanism independent or said manual means on overload. 

